Trade group honors area restaurant for its American fare

Rochester’s the Owl House has been honored by OpenTable Inc. as one the Top 50 restaurants in the country that specialize in American food.

OpenTable is an online provider of free, real-time restaurant reservations for diners. The site has more than 20,000 restaurant customers and has made more than 250 million reservations around the world since it was created in 1998.

The list was based on more than 10 million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in the country between November 2010 and October 2011. The Owl House was one of 11 restaurants in New York to make the top 100.

"This country's food culture has evolved very rapidly in recent years, yet a strong sense of nostalgia remains that must be honored,” said OpenTable’s chief dining officer Caroline Potter, in a statement. “The chefs at the winning restaurants are looking ahead and innovating, while also keeping an eye on the past by embracing heritage ingredients and techniques."

The Owl House opened in August 2010 at 75 Marshall St. former home of the Atomic Eggplant. The restaurant features a large selection of vegetarian and vegan food.